Force-Mitigating Athletic Shoe

ABSTRACT

An athlete in any athletic event generates forces on and subjects their lower extremities to forces which are unique to that athlete&#39;s mass, speed and strength. These forces are also affected by the composition of the playing field surface, shoe design and construction and other factors. It is possible to determine, according to these factors, the level of force above which injury to the athlete&#39;s lower extremities is inevitable—the pre-injury force threshold. This pre-injury force threshold is then used to design and build an athletic shoe which will provide a force-mitigating deformation induced by forces equal to the particular athlete&#39;s pre-injury force threshold. This deformation of the athletic shoe prevents injury to the athlete&#39;s lower extremities. This deformation may be induced by designing the sole of an athletic shoe with specifically engineered incised cut-outs or channels in the athletic shoe sole.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent applicationSer. No. 15/145,774 filed on 3 May 2016, [now U.S. Pat. No. 10,383,395].This application claims the benefit of U.S. 62/156,276 filed on 3 May2015. This application incorporates by reference U.S. patent applicationSer. No. 15/145,774 filed on 3 May 2016, [now U.S. Pat. No. 10,383,395]and 62/156,276 filed on 3 May 2015.

STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT

Not Applicable

SEQUENCE LISTING

Not Applicable

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Each year in North America there are approximately 250,000 ACLinjuries—about 70% of which are non-contact incidents.¹ A nearuniversally accepted and scientifically supported explanation for thisnon-contact statistic is the rotational and translational forces createdwhen a player makes a sudden change in direction or stops. Exacerbatingthis natural force generation is athletic-shoe/playing-surface interfacetraction. Decades of private and academic studies prove a causalrelationship between the increased desire for traction at theathletic-shoe/playing-surface interface and injurious forces that thistraction puts on the ACL. At some point, the human body is naturallyunable to compensate for this force. Boden, Griffin and Garrett posit intheir 2000 paper titled “Etiology and Prevention of Noncontact ACLInjury” the hormonal, anatomic and neuromuscular factors that maypredispose athletes to ACL injuries. Regardless, athletic shoemanufacturers continue to produce shoes with ever more traction. Today,those shoes are being used on artificial turf, which is also designed toprovide maximum traction. ¹ Griffin L Y, Noncontact Anterior CruciateLigament Injuries: Risk Factors and Prevention Strategies, Journal ofthe American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons: 2000; 8:141-150

Clearly, the conditions exist for even higher incidences of non-contactACL injuries that sideline athletes of every age, gender and skilllevel. Yet few attempts at preventing non-contact ACL injuries haveinvolved a viable athletic-shoe solution. Results have yielded shoedesigns with unstable vertical profiles that compromise athleticperformance and increase injury risk. U.S. Pat. No. 3,668,792 A (York)Jan. 8, 1971, entitled Breakaway Athletic Safety Shoe describes abreakaway system that, under duress, separates a spring-biased lowersole of the shoe from the upper section of the sole. U.S. Pat. No.7,254,905-B2 (Dennison) Aug. 14, 2007, entitled Releasable Athletic ShoeSole details a fully detachable lower sole with a mechanism designed torelease when a pre-determined and specifically longitudinally directedforce is applied. Published US Application 2013/0318832 A1 (Brown, etal,) Dec. 5, 2013, entitled Self-Recovering Impact Absorbing Footwear,proposes an athletic shoe design which will allow the wearer of the shoeuninterrupted usage while dampening forces that surpass an injurythreshold using a system of internal beams of various heights coupledwith an internal air valve system. In spite of these, the incidence ofnon-contact ACL injuries continues to rise—painful proof that apractical solution has yet to be realized.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

As they progress through an athletic event, every athlete generates andsubjects their lower extremities to various forces that are unique tohis or her mass, speed, and strength. These forces are also affected bythe composition of the playing field surface, by shoe sole design andconstruction, as well as by other factors. By determining, according tothese and other factors, the level of force at which injury isinevitable [i.e., the target pre-injury, force threshold], an athleticshoe sole can be created to provide a mitigating deformation induced bya particular athlete's pre-determined, target pre-injury forcethreshold. This mitigating deformation prevents injury to an athlete'slower extremity joints. A mitigating deformation of as little as 2degrees can reduce by threefold injurious forces such as torque(Groeger, Lena, “Injury Risks for the Female Athlete—Part 1”). After theathlete has progressed through that particular force-generatingmovement, the shoe's sole instantly returns to its original shape.

The present invention involves three embodiments of an athletic shoedesigned to provide a mitigating deformation induced by a particularathlete's pre-determined, target, pre-injury force threshold and amethod of preventing injury to an athlete's lower extremity joints. Asdifferent athletes, according to mass, speed, strength, playing surfaceconditions, etc. generate a wide range of forces, a wide range of forcethresholds must be contemplated. Each embodiment of the inventionpermits an athletic shoe sole to be designed and constructed to permit amitigating deformation induced by a particular athlete's pre-determined,target, pre-injury force threshold. This construction method allows afine-tuning of the force threshold, allowing an individual athlete tohave a shoe built to protect him or her from injurious forces.

The first embodiment is a shoe whose sole comprises multiple thin layersof specifically engineered composite materials. Each of the sole'slayers comprises a filler material with embedded fibers in variousanisotropic orientations. The assembled layers provide bothtranslational [i.e., heel to toe] as well as lateral [i.e., side toside] and rotational [i.e., twisting] rigidity and strength, similar inperformance to a traditional athletic shoe's thermoplastic elastomer orcarbon fiber sole. Because an anisotropic composition provides strengthand rigidity against forces perpendicular to the fibers, the inventivesole can be constructed to provide rigidity and strength only up to apre-determined, target, pre-injury force threshold. When an athlete'spre-determined, target pre-injury force threshold is reached, the soledeforms, thus mitigating the stress which the shoe can impart to theathlete's lower extremity joints. After the athlete has progressedthrough that particular force-generating movement, the shoe's soleinstantly returns to its original shape.

The second embodiment is a shoe whose sole has a series of cut-outscomprising channels or voids cut into the sole material. The sole isdesigned to provide both translational [i.e., heel to toe] as well aslateral [i.e., side to side] and rotational [i.e., twisting] rigidityand strength, similar in performance to a traditional athletic shoe'sthermoplastic elastomer or carbon fiber sole. However, because of thewidth, depth, area, location, geometry and orientation of the channelsor voids, the sole can be constructed to provide rigidity and strengthonly up to a pre-determined, target pre-injury force threshold. When anathlete's pre-determined, target pre-injury force threshold is reached,the sole deforms, thus mitigating the stress which the shoe can impartto the athlete's lower extremity joints. As with the first embodiment,after the athlete has progressed through the particular force-generatingmovement, the shoe's sole instantly returns to its original shape.

The third embodiment is a shoe whose sole has a series of cut-outscomprising geometric shapes which are then filled with an elastomericmaterial similar to the material of the remainder of the sole, but withdiffering force-resisting properties than the rest of the sole. The soleof the third embodiment also provides both translational [i.e., heel totoe] as well as lateral [i.e., side to side] and rotational [i.e.,twisting] rigidity and strength, similar in performance to a traditionalathletic shoe's thermoplastic elastomer or carbon fiber sole. Because ofthe geometry, size, location and orientation of the filled in cut-outsin the sole, and because of the force-resisting properties of the fillermaterial, the sole is constructed to provide rigidity and strength onlyup to a pre-determined, target pre-injury force threshold. When anathlete's pre-determined, pre-injury force threshold is reached, thesole deforms, thus mitigating the stress which the shoe can impart tothe athlete's lower extremity joints. As with the first and secondembodiments, after the athlete has progressed through the particularforce-generating movement, the shoe's sole instantly returns to itsoriginal shape.

The invention also involves a method of preventing injury to anathlete's lower extremity joints comprising the step of determining fora specific athlete in a specific playing field situation a series oftarget, pre-injury force thresholds. With these force thresholdsdetermined, an athletic shoe is constructed with a sole which isdesigned to temporarily deform when the shoe sole is subjected to thepre-determined target pre-injury force threshold and to then return toits original form when the force applied to the shoe sole falls belowthe pre-determined target pre-injury force threshold.

As different athletes, according to mass, speed, strength, playingsurface conditions, etc. generate a wide range of force, a wide range offorce thresholds must be contemplated. By constructing the sole of theshoe of the first embodiment with multiple thin layers, each with aunique and specific anisotropic fiber orientation, those layers can becombined into hundreds of different combinations. This constructionmethod allows a fine-tuning of the force threshold, allowing anindividual athlete to have a shoe built to protect him or her frominjurious forces.

In the shoe of the first embodiment, the rigidity and strength of aparticular layer will depend on the number, orientation, composition andindividual strength of the fibers embedded within that layer. Severallayers will have fiber orientation specifically related to providingrigidity and strength, as well as force-mitigating deformation againsttranslational force [i.e., heel to toe]. Others of the layers, whileadding to overall forward-force characteristics, will be oriented toprovide rigidity and strength, as well as force-mitigating deformationagainst rotational force [i.e., torque]. Still other of the layers,while adding to overall forward-force and torque characteristics, willbe oriented to provide rigidity and strength, as well asforce-mitigating deformation against lateral [i.e., side to side]forces. Each layer will be evaluated in the context of it being combinedwith other layers to create the desired athlete-specificforce-mitigating deformation.

In the shoe of the second embodiment, the rigidity and strength of theshoe sole will depend on the width, depth, area, location, geometry andorientation of the channels, the sole can thus be constructed to providerigidity and strength only up to the pre-determined, target pre-injuryforce threshold.

In the shoe of the third embodiment, the rigidity and strength of theshoe sole will depend on the geometry, size, location and orientation ofthe filled in cut-outs in the sole, and the force-resisting propertiesof the filler material. The sole can thus be constructed to providerigidity and strength only up to the pre-determined, target pre-injuryforce threshold. It is noted that this filler material may be a materialsimilar to the fibrous material used to construct the sole of the firstembodiment shoe.

The fibers bound into the sole materials may include, but are notlimited to, carbon, silicon carbide, graphene, glass, nylon, metallic,aramid fibers, and various other natural and/or synthetic materials. Thematrix binding and protecting the fibers may include, but will not belimited to, various polymers, natural and/or synthetic rubbers,thermoplastics, polyvinyl chloride, polyethylene, polypropylene, styrenebutadiene, isobutylene, isoprene butadiene, and the like. The materialscomprising the filler material of the third embodiment sole may be thesame materials described above in regard to the matrix binding andprotecting the fibers. The filler material may or may not include thebound fibers described above.

For all embodiments of the invention, construction of the shoe sole iscontemplated as a 3-D printed process, with printed layers forming acollective printed sole originating with different materials,chemistries, optional reinforcing and arrayed fibers, etc. to allow forfull, athlete-specific customization of the properties of the structureof the sole. For all the embodiments, the sole materials will comprisevarious layers with specific elasticity, flexural and tensile strengthcharacteristics spanning a wide overall range of said characteristics.For the third embodiment, sole materials will be similar to those of thefirst two embodiments and the filler material, as noted above, will besimilar to the sole materials but may or may not include bound fibers.

The invention involves three embodiments of an athletic shoe whosecomposition and construction will provide rigid lateral stability andstrength during normal athletic movement. However, at a pre-determined,athlete-specific, target pre-injury force threshold the sole temporarilydeforms to prevent injury to the athlete's lower extremity joints. Theinvention is intended to encompass cleated and/or nubbed field shoes aswell as tennis, handball, volleyball, basketball and other athleticfootwear. The primary joint of concern is the knee's ACL.

The invention also comprises a method of preventing injury to anathlete's lower extremity joints. The method comprises determining for aspecific athlete in a specific playing environment a unique targetpre-injury force threshold. Given this target pre-injury forcethreshold, a customized athletic shoe having a composite sole comprisingmultiple thin layers of specifically engineered composite materials isbuilt for a specific athlete in a specific playing environment. Shorten,et al surmised that the ‘. . . interaction (between shoe and playingsurface) suggests that appropriate shoe selection for a given surface isan important element in risk reduction.’ (Shorten, Hudson, andHimmelsbach, “Shoe-Surface Traction of Conventional and In-FilledSynthetic Turf Football Surfaces”). The composite sole of the shoe willprovide the athlete sufficient traction and stability in the specificplaying environment but will temporarily deform when the shoe issubjected to the target pre-injury force threshold, thus preventinginjurious force from being applied to the athlete's lower extremityjoints.

Given the current state of the art in shoe construction, it is possibleto calculate the target force threshold and construct a unique andathlete-specific athletic shoe for a given playing environment and otherfactors using modern 3D printing technology. It is possible, forexample, to provide a customized athletic shoe for a particular athletein a specific playing environment [e.g., (natural grass vs. syntheticturf, wet vs. dry, etc., etc.], or even for the first part of anathletic event and then to provide another customized athletic shoe forthe athlete to wear during another portion of the same athletic event.As an example, a customized athletic shoe could be built for an athletefor a football or soccer game on a particular day with a specificplaying environment as described supra. If the specific playingenvironment changes during the athletic event, for example, due to rainor snow or playing field deterioration which could affect the targetforce threshold, another shoe could be available or could even be builtin time for the athlete to wear the new shoe in the second half [orlater portions] of the game.

This method will also accommodate changes in the athlete's physicalsituation, which often occur during an athletic event. For example, aninjury to the athlete's leg or foot may mandate a different target forcethreshold; in that instance, a new shoe can be constructed toimmediately accommodate this changed physical situation. Muscle fatigue,for example, could warrant constructing another shoe for the second halfof the athletic event. Orchard and Powell concluded by analyzing 5,910NFL games that not only field composition affected injury rates, butalso cold weather vs. hot weather, wet vs. dry conditions, and evenearly season vs. later season condition of athletes as well as playingsurfaces. The factors that lowered shoe/playing surface traction (andresulting force) also reduced injury risk (Orchard, J. W., Powell, J.W., “Risk of Knee and Ankle Sprains Under Various Weather Conditions inthe National Football League,” 1993, July). By using pre-constructedportions of the athletic shoe specific to a given athlete and/or venue,it may even be possible to make new shoes, as necessary, for eachquarter of a football game.

Use of 3-D printing construction method allows fine-tuning of thecomposite sole to construct a sole that can prevent the generation ofinjurious force to an athlete's lower extremities.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the composite athletic shoe according toa first embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 2 is a view of the sole of the athletic shoe of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a blown-up view of a portion of the shoe sole of FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is another view of the sole of FIG. 2 showing the cutting planeA-A that determines the perspective of FIG. 5.

FIG. 5 shows a section of the sole of FIG. 2 now under a rotationalstress and taken along the plane A-A as shown in FIG. 4.

FIG. 6 is an enlarged view of the section of FIG. 5 inside the circle B.

FIG. 7 shows a section of the sole of FIG. 2 also taken along the planeA-A as shown in FIG. 4. The sole is now being subjected to longitudinalstress.

FIG. 8 is an enlarged view of the section of FIG. 7 inside the circle C.

FIG. 9 is a cross-section of an athletic shoe according to the firstembodiment of this invention but with more individual layers in thesole.

FIG. 10 is an exploded view of the shoe shown in FIG. 9.

FIG. 11 is a flow chart illustrating a method of the invention.

FIG. 12 is a plan view of the sole of a second embodiment of theinvention.

FIG. 13 is a view taken along the plane D-D of the sole shown in FIG.12.

FIG. 14 is a plan view of the sole shown in FIG. 12 deforming under theeffects of an external torsion [i.e., torque] force.

FIG. 15 is a plan view of another version a sole constructed accordingto the second embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 16 is a plan view of an alternate construction of a soleconstructed according to the second embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 17 is a view taken along the plane E-E of the sole shown in FIG.16.

FIG. 18 is a plan view of another alternate version of a soleconstructed according to the second embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 19 is a view taken along the plane F-F of the sole shown in FIG.18.

FIG. 20 is a plan view of yet another alternate version of a soleconstructed according to the second embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 21 is a view taken along the plane G-G of the sole shown in FIG.20.

FIG. 22 is a plan view of yet another alternate version of a soleconstructed according to the second embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 23 is a view taken along the plane H-H of the sole shown in FIG.22.

FIG. 24 is a plan view of yet another alternate version of a soleconstructed according to the second embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 25 is a view taken along the plane I-I of the sole shown in FIG.24.

FIG. 26 is a plan view of a sole constructed according to the thirdembodiment of the invention.

FIG. 27 is a view taken along the plane J-J of the sole shown in FIG.26.

FIG. 28 is a plan view of a second variation of a sole constructedaccording to the third embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 29 is a plan view of third variation of a sole constructedaccording to the third embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 30 is a plan view of a fourth variation of a sole constructedaccording to the third embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 31 is a plan view of the sole shown in FIG. 30 deforming under theeffects of an external torsion [i.e., torque] force.

FIG. 32 is a plan view of a fifth variation of a sole constructedaccording to the third embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 33 is a plan view of the sole shown in FIG. 32 deforming under theeffects of an external longitudinal force.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The athletic shoe 10 according to a first embodiment of the invention isshown in FIGS. 1-8. The athletic shoe soles shown in FIGS. 1-8 aredesigned to protect an athlete's lower extremities against bothinjurious torsional [i.e., torque] forces and injurious longitudinalforces.

The shoe sole shown in FIGS. 1-8 comprises an upper body 12 and amulti-layer composite sole 14. Multi-layer composite sole 14 is shown inFIGS. 2-8 as comprising 5 thin layers of materials, although the exactnumber of layers could be more or less than 5 depending upon thespecific situation the shoe is designed for. As shown in FIG. 3, sole 14comprises layers 20, 21, 22, 23 and 24. Layers 20, and 24 are designedto provide rigid translational [i.e., straight ahead] stability duringcompetition, like a traditional athletic shoe, only up to apre-determined, athlete-specific, target pre-injury force threshold.These layers will also contribute limited rigidity during lateral aswell as rotational [i.e., twisting] force generation. Layers 21 and 23also will contribute to overall translational rigidity, as well asrotational stability only up to a pre-determined, athlete-specific,pre-injury force threshold [i.e., the target, pre-injury forcethreshold]. The athlete-specific/target-force-specific anisotropic fiberorientation in the sole's layers will allow the sole to temporarilydeform in response to, and to dissipate, the specific target force thatwould otherwise cause injurious stress to that particular athlete'slower extremities.

Sole 14 is shown in FIG. 4 in its unstressed condition. As shown inFIGS. 5 and 6, sole 14 has been subjected to a rotational forceequivalent to the pre-determined, target, pre-injury force threshold atwhich point layers 21 and 23 have temporarily deformed about the shoe'srotational axis to alleviate and prevent the application of injuriousforce to the athlete's lower extremities.

As shown in FIG. 6, the anisotropic fibers in layers 21 and 23 havecaused the layers to temporarily deform under the application of thepre-determined target pre-injury force threshold. When the event thatgenerated the target force threshold has passed, the layers immediatelyreturn to their unstressed condition.

Sole 14 is also shown in FIGS. 7 and 8. Sole 14 is shown as having 5layers of material, although—as noted above—the exact number of layerscould be more or less than 5 depending upon the specific situation theshoe is designed for. As shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, sole 14 compriseslayers 20, 21, 22, 23, and 24 as in FIGS. 5 and 6. Layers 20, 22 and 24are designed to provide rigid translational [i.e., straight ahead]stability during competition, like a traditional athletic shoe, only upto a pre-determined, athlete-specific, target pre-injury forcethreshold. These layers will also contribute limited rigidity duringlateral and rotational [i.e., twisting] force generation. Layers 21 and23 also will contribute to overall translational rigidity, as well aslateral and rotational strength and stability only up to apre-determined, athlete-specific, target pre-injury force threshold. Theathlete-specific/target-force-specific anisotropic fiber orientation inthe sole's layers will allow the sole to temporarily deform in responseto, and to dissipate, the specific target force that might otherwisecause injurious force to that particular athlete's lower extremities.

FIGS. 7 and 8 illustrate the sole being subjected to a longitudinal[i.e., heel to toe] force equivalent to the pre-determined target,pre-injury force threshold. The layers 20, 22 and 24 have temporarilydeformed in the longitudinal direction to alleviate and prevent theapplication of injurious longitudinal force to the athlete's lowerextremities. As shown in FIG. 8, the anisotropic fibers in layers 20, 22and 24 have caused the layers to temporarily deform in the longitudinaldirection under the application of the target, pre-injury forcethreshold. When the event that generated the target, pre-injury forcethreshold has passed, the layers immediately return to their unstressedcondition.

FIG. 9 illustrates a variation of the first embodiment of the athleticshoe with a seven-layer sole. Shoe 30 comprises upper 31 andmulti-layered sole 32. Shoe 30 also has a sock liner 33. Sole 32comprises layers 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, and 40. Certain of these layerscan be designed to deform upon application of a longitudinal target,pre-injury force threshold. Certain of the other layers can be designedto deform upon application of a lateral target, pre-injury forcethreshold and of a rotational target, pre-injury force threshold.

Shoe 30 is shown in an exploded view in FIG. 10. In this embodimentlayers 35 and 37 are the layers that temporarily deform upon applicationof the longitudinal target, pre-injury force threshold. Layers 36 and 38will temporarily deform upon application of the rotational target,pre-injury force threshold and layers 34 and 39 will temporarily deformupon application of the lateral [i.e., side-to-side] target, pre-injuryforce threshold.

It is noted that in the above example in FIG. 10 there is no particularsignificance as to which layers temporarily deform to mitigate whichtype of target, pre-injury force threshold. Obviously, any of the layerscould be selected to mitigate any particular type of target, pre-injuryforce threshold. Nor is there any particular significance in thisexample as to how many individual layers will temporarily deform tomitigate a particular target, pre-injury force threshold. In thisexample, two layers were used to mitigate each of the three types oftarget-pre-injury force thresholds, but more layers or fewer could alsohave been used, depending upon the exact circumstances of the particularathlete-specific factors and the particular environmental factors. Withthis embodiment, the athlete's lower extremities can be protectedagainst injurious longitudinal, rotational and lateral [i.e.,side-to-side] forces.

The method 50 of the invention is illustrated in FIG. 11. The methodcomprises determining for a particular athlete, in a specific playingenvironment, the athlete-specific factors contributing to thelongitudinal, rotational and lateral [i.e., side-to-side] target,pre-injury force thresholds. These factors are then inputted at 51.Next, the environment-specific factors contributing to the longitudinal,rotational and lateral [i.e., side-to-side] target, pre-injury forcethresholds are determined. These factors are inputted at 52 and thelongitudinal, rotational and lateral [i.e., side-to-side] target,pre-injury force thresholds are determined at 53. This information isthen used to build an athletic shoe sole customized for the particularathlete in the specific playing environment at 54. A customized athleticshoe is then built at 55 using the customized sole built at 54. Theathlete then uses the customized shoe in a playing event. At certain,pre-determined times during the playing event, the athlete-specificfactors are re-evaluated at 56. Also at these pre-determined times, theenvironmental-specific factors are re-evaluated a 57. The changes tothese factors are evaluated at 57 and if they have been significantlychanged, new longitudinal, rotational and lateral [i.e., side-to-side]target, pre-injury force thresholds are determined and a new customizedsole and shoe are built for use by the athlete for the remainder of theevent. Using modern 3-D printing technology, it is possible to buildseveral customized shoes for the athlete during the course of an event.

FIGS. 12-14 show a force-mitigating athletic shoe sole constructedaccording to the second embodiment of the invention. The three figureswill be described together with it being understood that elements shownin one figure may or may not be shown in the other figures.

Sole 70 is a multi-layer composite force-mitigating sole similar inconstruction to the first embodiment soles shown and described above.Multi-layer composite sole 70 is shown as comprising composite layers73, 74, and 75, although the exact number of layers could be more orless, as desired. Sole 70 comprises materials similar to those of thefirst embodiment. Multi-layer sole 70 has a cut-out or channel 72incised into the outer surface of layer 73. Channel 72 is shown in thefigures as being incised into the forward portion of sole 70. It shouldbe understood that the exact placement of channel 72 can and will varydepending upon the desired force-resisting characteristics of sole 70just as the width, depth and exact pathway of channel 72 can and will bevaried depending upon the desired force-resisting characteristics ofsole 70. It is noted that even though channel 72 is only shown in thefigures as being incised into an outer layer of the sole, it could alsobe incised into an internal layer, if desired.

Channel 72 follows a somewhat serpentine pathway and is designed tostrategically weaken sole 70 such that sole 70 will temporarily deformin response to, and to dissipate, the specific target force that mightotherwise cause injurious force to that particular athlete's lowerextremities. Layers 73, 74, and 75 will also provide limited rigidityduring lateral and rotational [i.e., twisting] force generation. Layers73, 74, and 75 also will contribute to overall translational rigidity,as well as lateral and rotational strength and stability. The width,depth, geometry and exact pathway of channel 72 can be varied to providethe exact response desired to provide a mitigating deformation inducedby a particular athlete's pre-determined, target pre-injury forcethreshold.

FIG. 14 shows sole 70 deforming under stress from an externally appliedtorque. The rear end of sole 70 has twisted upwardly in response to thestress and the portion of sole 70 containing channel 72 has distorted inresponse to the stress. The twisted portion of sole 70 is shown at 70′and the untwisted portion is shown by a dashed line at 70. Theundistorted channel 72 is shown as a dotted line while the distortedchannel is shown as a solid line at 72′.

FIG. 15 shows a variation of the second embodiment of the invention witha channel 71 incised into the outer surface of sole 100. Channel 71 issomewhat shallower than channel 72 shown in FIGS. 12-14 and extends fora much greater length with more undulations than channel 72. As in thesoles show above, the exact width, depth, geometry and pathway ofchannel 71 can be varied to provide the exact response desired toprovide a mitigating deformation induced by a particular athlete'spre-determined, pre-injury force threshold.

FIG. 16 shows a plan view of an alternate construction of aforce-mitigating sole constructed according to the second embodiment ofthe invention. It is noted that FIG. 17 is a view taken along the planeE-E of the sole shown in FIG. 16. FIGS. 16 and 17 will be describedtogether. Sole 70′ has 4 separate channels 72″ incised into an outerlayer 73 of the sole 70′. It is noted that the channels of the sole ofthe second embodiment do not have to be continuous as shown in FIGS.12-15 and described supra. Channels 72 are separate chevron-shapedchannels oriented with the points forward and are placed generally inthe middle of sole 70″ as shown.

FIG. 17 shows a view of a force-mitigating sole 70″ taken along theplane E-E in FIG. 16. It is noted that FIG. 17 is a view taken along theplane E-E of the sole shown in FIG. 16. FIGS. 16 and 17 will bedescribed together. Channels 72″ are incised into the outer layer 73′ ofsole 70″. As shown, sole 70″ comprises 3 layers 73′, 74′ and 75′. It isnoted that there could be more layers than the three shown or therecould be less layers, as desired.

FIG. 18 is a plan view of another alternate version of aforce-mitigating sole constructed according to the second embodiment ofthe invention. It is noted that FIG. 19 is a view taken along the planeF-F of the sole shown in FIG. 18. FIGS. 18 and 19 will be describedtogether. Sole 76 is comprises three layers 78, 79 and 80. Channels 77are again chevron-shaped as shown in FIG. 18 and are incised into aninternal layer of sole 76. In this figure, the channels 77 are incisedinto middle layer 79—although they could just as well be in layer 80.

FIG. 20 is a plan view of another alternate version of a forcemitigating sole constructed according to the second embodiment of theinvention. It is noted that FIG. 21 is a view taken along the plane G-Gof the sole shown in FIG. 20. FIGS. 20 and 21 will be describedtogether. Sole 81 is comprises three layers 83, 84 and 85. It isimportant to note that the channels of a sole constructed according tothe second embodiment of the invention may be of many different shapesand have geometry differing from what is shown in the Figures. In thisversion, channels 82 are irregular curves and are incised into aninternal layer of sole 81. In this figure, the channels 82 are incisedinto middle layer 84—although they could just as well be in layer 85.Channels 82 are irregular curves and they are not spaced at uniformintervals as clearly shown in FIGS. 20 and 21.

FIG. 22 illustrates yet another alternate version of a force-mitigatingsole constructed according to the second embodiment of the invention. Itis noted that FIG. 23 is a view taken along the plane H-H of the soleshown in FIG. 22. FIGS. 22 and 23 will be described together.Force-mitigating sole 86 has 4 irregular curve channels 87 which aresimilar to but shorter than the channels 82. It is noted that channels87 are not uniformly spaced along the length of sole 86 as clearly shownin FIGS. 22 and 23. It is also noted that a fifth channel 88 ispositioned behind the channels 87 in a direction towards the heel offorce-mitigating sole 86. This illustrates the fact that the variouschannels which comprise the second embodiment of the force-mitigatingsole may not be the same length or shape, as desired.

FIG. 24 is a plan view of yet another alternate version of aforce-mitigating sole constructed utilizing portions of all threeembodiments of the invention. It is noted that FIG. 25 is a view takenalong the plane I-I of the sole shown in FIG. 24. FIGS. 24 and 25 willbe described together. In the third embodiment of the invention, theforce-mitigating sole is strategically weakened to provide the desiredtemporary deformation by providing inserts in the sole rather than byproviding a channel incised into the sole. However, there is no reasonwhy a force-mitigating sole cannot be constructed using multipleembodiments of the invention in the same force-mitigating sole. Indeed,a force-mitigating sole may be constructed using all of the embodimentsof the invention. This is illustrated in FIGS. 24 and 25.Force-mitigating sole 92 comprises three layers 97, 98 and 99. Sole 92has cut-outs 93, 93′, 94 and 94′ incised into inner layer 98, althoughthe cut-outs could be in layer 99 or layer 97, if desired. These insertsare made of a composite filler material similar to the sole materialsdescribed above; however, the filler material may or may not includebound fibers. The filler material of the inserts will haveforce-resisting characteristics that are different [and perhapssubstantially so] than the materials comprising remaining portions ofsole 92. These differences in material properties assist in providingthe desired weakening in sole 92 to permit it to provide a mitigatingdeformation induced by a particular athlete's pre-determined, targetpre-injury force threshold. In addition, the exact location of theinserts within the sole, the number of inserts, their geometric shape,and their depth are all characteristics which can be varied in order toprovide the exact response desired to provide a mitigating deformationof sole 92 induced by a particular athlete's pre-determined, targetpre-injury force threshold. It is noted that inserts 93, 93′, 94 and 94′are shown with dotted line borders and in a lighter color in FIG. 24than they are shown in FIG. 25. This is because the inserts 93, 93′, 94and 94′ are actually hidden in FIG. 24 while insert 94′ shown in FIG. 25is not hidden. Channels 95 and 96 are also incised into inner layer 98.In this manner, channels 95 and 96 may be designed to deform in order tomitigate a rotational [i.e., torque] target, pre-injury force threshold.Inserts 93, 93′, 94 and 94′ could then be designed to deform in responseto a lateral [i.e., side to side] target, pre-injury force threshold. Inaddition, portions of layer 98 of force-mitigating sole 92 could bedesigned with anisotropic fibers oriented in such a manner to deform inresponse to a longitudinal [i.e., heel to toe] target, pre-injury forcethreshold. It is noted that inserts 93, 93′, 94 and 94′ and channels 95and 96 do not have to be in the same layer of force-mitigating sole 92.For example, the anisotropic fibers could be in layer 97, the insertscould be in layer 99 and channels 95 and 96 could be in layer 98. Thesearrangements are only illustrative of the underlying principle here thatany of the three force-mitigating elements disclosed herein could be inany layer of a multiple-layer sole.

FIGS. 26-33 show a third embodiment of the invention. In this embodimentthe sole is strategically weakened to provide the desired temporarydeformation via inserts in the sole rather than by incising a channel inthe sole. FIGS. 26 and 27 will be described together with it beingunderstood that elements shown in one figure may or may not be shown inthe other figure. It is noted that the inserts are all shown in theforward [toe] portion of the sole. Obviously, one or more inserts couldbe positioned in the mid portion of the sole, or even in the heelportion of the sole, if desired.

Sole 110 is a multi-layer composite sole similar in construction to thefirst and second embodiment soles shown and described above. The forwardportion of sole 110 contains 4 inserts, 112, 112′, 114 and 114′. Theseinserts are made of a composite filler material similar to the solematerials described above; however, the filler material may or may notinclude bound fibers. The filler material of the inserts will haveforce-resisting characteristics that are different [and perhapssubstantially so] than the materials comprising remaining portions ofsole 110. These differences in material properties assist in providingthe desired weakening in sole 110 to permit it to provide a mitigatingdeformation induced by a particular athlete's pre-determined, targetpre-injury force threshold. In addition, the exact location of theinserts within the sole, the number of inserts, their geometric shape,and their depth are all characteristics which can be varied in order toprovide the exact response desired to provide a mitigating deformationof sole 110 induced by a particular athlete's pre-determined, pre-injuryforce threshold.

Sole 110 is a multi-layer composite sole comprising layers 111, 111′ and111″. As with the other embodiments of the invention, the number andcomposition of layers in sole 110 can and will vary depending upon theexact force-resisting response desired. In FIG. 27, insert 114′ is shownas being the same thickness as layer 111. Obviously, the thickness ofthe inserts can also be varied as desired. Inserts 112, 112′, 114 and114′ are shown as being contained within the outer layer of sole 110;however, they could be placed in other layers of sole 110, if desired.

FIG. 28 shows a variation of the third embodiment of the invention.Multi-layer composite sole 115 is shown with four inserts 116, 116′, 117and 117′. These inserts comprise a material with significantly differentforce-resisting characteristics than the material comprising inserts112, 112′, 114 and 114′. As an example, a shoe with the inventive solemay be designed for a specific athlete for a specific event. During theevent, which could be a football game, a soccer game or perhaps a rugbymatch, the weather changes substantially and the playing field becomesmuch slicker due to heavy rain. Following the method shown and describedabove, a new shoe using sole 115 could be constructed for the specificathlete [for instance, during the halftime break]. Since conditions aremuch slicker on the playing field, a shoe with sole 110 having inserts112, 112′, 114 and 114′ might be too stiff for the changed playingconditions and a new shoe would be constructed with sole 115 havinginserts 116, 116′, 117 and 117′ made of a material significantly lessstiff than the material comprising inserts 112, 112′, 114 and 114′.

FIG. 29 shows another variation of the third embodiment of theinvention. Multi-layer composite sole 120 is shown with four inserts121, 121′, 122 and 122′. The previous examples of the third embodimenthave had inserts all made from the same filler material. It is possibleto provide in one sole inserts made from different filler materials.This is illustrated in FIG. 19. Inserts 121 and 121′ are made from amaterial similar to that used for inserts 116, 116′, 117 and 117′ ofsole 115 shown in FIG. 28. Inserts 122 and 122′ are made from a materialthat has different force-resisting characteristics than the materialused for the inserts for sole 115. This variation permits fine-tuning ofthe force-resisting characteristics of sole 115.

FIGS. 30-33 show yet another variation of the third embodiment of theinvention. In previous variants of the third embodiment, the insertshave been oriented in a generally longitudinal [i.e., heel to toe]direction within the sole. In this embodiment, inserts 135 are orientedgenerally transverse to the sole 130. This is illustrated in FIG. 30 bylines 138. In FIG. 31 sole 130 is shown being stressed and deformed by atorsional [i.e., torque] force. The original position of the rearportion of sole 130′ is shown by a dashed line. The deformed position isshown at 130 by a solid line. Inserts 135 have changed shape in responseto the torsional force as shown in FIG. 31 and have also assumed adifferent orientation as shown by lines 138′. As in previous versions ofthis embodiment, the size, orientation, geometric shape, placementwithin the sole outline, and composition of the insert filler materialare all factors that will assist in determining the force-mitigatingproperties of the particular sole. Also as indicated above, it ispossible to have some or all of the inserts 135 be in a layer within theshoe sole and not on an outer layer.

FIGS. 32 and 33 show a shoe sole similar to that shown in FIGS. 30 and31; however, this sole is being stressed by a longitudinal [i.e., heelto toe] force. Sole 140 has multiple inserts 145 shown on the outerlayer of the sole. As shown in FIG. 33, when sole 140 is subjected to alongitudinal force, inserts 145 temporarily deform to essentially“shorten” the shoe and in doing so provide a force-mitigatingdeformation of the particular shoe to prevent injury to the athlete'slower extremities and joints.

Each embodiment of the invention provides protection from injuriousforce to an athlete's lower extremity joints by providing a temporaryforce-mitigating deformation in the athlete's specifically configuredshoe. Unlike other attempts to correct this problem, applicants haveprovided a shoe with a sole that is designed to temporarily deform whenthe sole is subjected to the pre-determined target pre-injury forcethreshold and to then return to its original form when the force appliedto the shoe sole falls below the pre-determined target pre-injury forcethreshold.

The purpose of this invention is to protect the lower extremities of anathlete from injury. If you think of an athlete's leg as a column ofconnected links from the sole of the athletic shoe all the way up to theathlete's hip, the weakest link in the column is the athlete's ACL. Oneway of looking at this invention is to change this situation and makethe sole of the athletic shoe the weakest link—instead of the ACL—sothat the sole of the athletic shoe deforms before the athlete's ACL candeform [and be injured].

1. A force-mitigating shoe designed to protect a wearer's lowerextremity joints from injurious stress caused by an applied forceequivalent to a pre-determined target, pre-injury force, said shoecomprising: an upper body and a force-mitigating sole attached to saidupper body; wherein said pre-determined target, pre-injury forcecomprises at least a pre-determined longitudinal target, pre-injuryforce; and wherein said force-mitigating sole comprises: at least afirst layer of specifically engineered material; wherein said firstlayer of material is specifically engineered to provide rigidtranslational stability to a wearer's foot when said first layer issubjected to forces below the level of said pre-determined longitudinaltarget, pre-injury force; wherein said first layer of material isprovided with at least one channel incised into said first layer topermit said first layer to become less rigid and temporarily deform inthe same direction as said pre-determined longitudinal target,pre-injury force when said first layer of material is subjected to aforce equivalent to said pre-determined longitudinal target, pre-injuryforce.
 2. The force-mitigating shoe of claim 1, wherein said first layerof specifically engineered material is specifically engineered such thatafter said first layer has deformed when subjected to an applied forceequivalent to said pre-determined longitudinal target, pre-injury forceand said applied force drops below the level of said pre-determinedlongitudinal target, pre-injury force, said first layer instantlyreturns to its original shape.
 3. The force-mitigating shoe according toclaim 2, wherein said force-mitigating-sole comprises at least a secondlayer of material.
 4. The force-mitigating shoe according to claim 3wherein said second layer of material is the outer layer of saidforce-mitigating sole and said first layer of material is an insidelayer of said force-mitigating sole such that said second layer ofmaterial covers said first layer of material.
 5. The force-mitigatingshoe according to claim 3 wherein said channel is elongated and followsa serpentine path back and forth across said first layer of material. 6.The force-mitigating shoe according to claim 3 wherein said first layerof material is the outer layer of said force-mitigating sole and saidsecond layer of material is an inside layer of said force-mitigatingsole such that said first layer of material covers said second layer ofmaterial.
 7. The force-mitigating shoe according to claim 3 wherein saidfirst layer of material comprises multiple elongated channels spacedalong the surface of said first layer of material.
 8. Theforce-mitigating shoe according to claim 7 wherein said multipleelongated channels are discontinuous.
 9. The force-mitigating shoeaccording to claim 7 wherein said multiple elongated channels arechevron-shaped and spaced at irregular intervals along said first layerof material.
 10. The force-mitigating shoe according to claim 3, whereinsaid pre-determined target, pre-injury force further comprises apre-determined lateral target, pre-injury force; wherein said secondlayer of material is specifically engineered to provide rigid lateralstability to a wearer's foot when said second layer is subjected toforces below the level of said pre-determined target, pre-injury force;and, wherein said second layer of specifically engineered material isprovided with at least one channel incised into said first layer topermit said first layer to become less rigid and temporarily deform inthe same direction as said pre-determined lateral target, pre-injuryforce when said second layer of material is subjected to a forceequivalent to said pre-determined lateral target, pre-injury force. 11.The force-mitigating shoe of claim 10, wherein said second layer ofspecifically engineered material is specifically engineered such thatafter said second layer has deformed when subjected to an applied forceequivalent to said pre-determined lateral target, pre-injury force andsaid applied force drops below the level of said pre-determined lateraltarget, pre-injury force, said second layer instantly returns to itsoriginal shape.